Seed pan



Sept. 2 1924. 1,507,468

R. M. cooP SEED PAN Filed Feb. 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 24 30' jw jfawSept. 2 a

R. M- CQOP SEED PAN Filed Feb. 18, 1922 6H... t? y O C) O 0 Q 0 0-9 2Sheets-Shea. 2

Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES RODNEY C001, 03? GADSDEN, TENNESSEE sEEn PAN,

Application filed February 18, 1922. Serial No. 537,494. Y i I To allwhom it'may concern:

Be it known that RODNEY M. floor, a. citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Gadsden, in the county of Crockett and State ofTennessee, has invented new and useful Improvements in Seed Pans, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide asan attachment for mowingmachines a receptacle or pan for catching lespadeza seed and moreparticularly the ripe seed which is detached in the course of the mowingoperation and of separating the same from trash, fibres, twigs and thelike to prevent the falling of the seed upon the ground and enable thesame to be used otherwise in the discretion of the farmer; and moreparticularly to provide what may be designated as a seed pan of such aconstruction as to permit of the-application or attachment thereof withfacility tothe ordinary construction of finger bar of a mowing orreaping machine of convenient type under such conditions as not tointerfere with the operation of the machine in other respects andpractically insure the catching of all of the seed as it falls from theplants; and with these objects in view the invention consists in aconstruction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of aseed pan embodying the invention applied in the operative position to amowing machine of which a portion is indicated.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the same.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the pan.

Figure 1 is a detail view of the pan attaching rod and reinforcing frameto. which the side and rear walls of the pan are secured.

Figure 5 is a detail view in section and enlarged of the mounting andjoint of the seed pan and cover.

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the seed pan cover toshow the preferred specific arrangement of the openings or perforationstherein.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view enlarged of a portion of the pancover to show the approved form of opening or perforation designed forthe reception of the seed.

The device consists essentially of a forwardly tapered or wedge shapedreceptacle 10 consisting of a bottom 11, side walls 12 and a'rear wall13, which is preferably struck from sheet metal or formed by pressure orotherwise as by means of a die'or' by drawing, to the end that theremaybe no joints,

therein, the reduced front edge of thereceptacle being pivotallysupported upon the" finger bar 1 1 of the mowing machine when in use, bymeans of a pivot rod 15 or its equivalent which may be attached in any:

suitable or preferred manner to the finger bar or any convenient portionof the frame of the mowing machine; supplemented-by a screening lid orcover 16 which closes the upper side of the receptacle and at itsforwarddepressed end, arranged in the plane of the'cutter bar of themowing machine is equipped with. an attaching leaf 17 adapted 'forengagement by the rail plates or clamp plates 18 ordinarily; forming apart of the cutting mechanism of the machine, the lid or coverproperbeing hinged as at 19 to said leaf so as to befree for verticalswinging movement either with or independently of the receptacle 10which as above noted is in turn hingedly mounted upon the cutter barthrough the rod 15.

A reinforcing frame 20 of which the side arms are hingedly mounted uponthe rod 15 is beaded into the upper edges of the walls of the receptacleto afford strength to the structure which may further be reinforced bycorner brace plates 21.

The openings in thescreening lid or cover of the receptacle arepreferablygraded in size, those of larger diameter shown'at 22 beingarranged near the forward edge of the plate while those of smallerdiameter shown at 23 are arranged in rear thereof, these openings bemgdisposed in series arranged on oblique lines which intersect preferablyat angles of 90 so that as thev seed more or p less mixed with fibresand trash fall upon the plate and the tendency of grain or other 1vegetation extending over or coming into contact with or falling uponthe upwardly Y and rearwardly inclined surface of the lid tend to sweepthe surface rearwardly, the

seed finds its way through the openings and falls into and is depositedinto the receptacle for subsequent access by raising the lidor cover.'The readily detachable ripe seed naturally fall from the plants as theyare first encountered by the cutter machanism I and hence are depositedupon the front portion of the surface of the lid or cover from whichthey pass througi the larger openings 22 located nearthe lane ofthecutter bar, While the less 'r-i er seed falling with the trash areadapted to be receited by the smaller openings as the trash is sweptrearwardly over the surface io t t'he'plate-while at the same time thesmallness of the open seed and prevent the passage ot the former intothe interior of the receptacle.

Mcreoever the openings er perforations in the .plate are preferably formfby-@c 'Qlid punch whichin'stead of cutting a blank out of the plate-serves merely -tefb, e nd 0r, 'de- Beet the materialthereof'dctvnwartlly ,or'i'n- Wiardly as shownjllioret Clearly iniEigure 7 to provide a funnel like l'fQri ifor the 0.11%- ing havingtheQfiared mouth. 24: and depending lips It has b e e n,f ound ginpractice that this constructienaof penings serves etfectively topermit'theentrance c'fjthe seed while permitting the trash ft10,,besWept. o-Ver the seine for discharge at the rear end of the lid 'or.cover. e

Thelid or cover is free to vibrate vertically or to permit ofindependent, ibration of the cutter bar and in order, to preventdisplacement of the lid springs26 at the rear edge thereof are connectedwith hooks 27 tending to yieldingly maintain the rear portion of thelids inbearing contact with the upper edges of the all of thereceptacle. It will also be obvious that the mounting the receptacle issuch as to permit the same to follow irregularities in the surface 'ofthe soil and correspondingly, permit a vertical ibration, of the cutterhar- Without disturbing the relatiYE- relationsof the parts.

ingcover for the receptacle provided th Having described the inventionWhat is Claimed as new, and useful is:-

' 1'; A seed printer-mowing machines having a receptacle and means forpivot'ally mounting the front edge thereof upon the fi 11g er'bar-of acutting mechanism, a screenng cover for the receptacle provided with111"5 tends se Qarate the trash from "the openings :tor the reception ofseed dropped .lf fgm plants engaged by the cutting mecha 'nism andpassing over the surface of the cover, the means for pivotallyi mount ngthe receptacle consisting of a pivot reddis posed parallel With-thecutter ban: ands reinfercing .rod formed ,With terminal eyes pivotal Yengeging the pivo rod and-being crinrped into the side Walls of thereceptacle't'o re orce the sal ne.

2. A seed pan forniow ng machine's -hav m a re ptacle and means forpiizotally mounting the front edge thereof supon fingerbar of aeuttlngmechanism, a screenopenings for the reception 0t seed ftlr oppedrom plants engag d by thecuttlr g mech nism and'. pass ng over thesurface pffthe cover, the cover having ahingedly connected forwardlyextendingtleaf forengagementlby the clamp plates cf the cutter bar ofthe cutting mechanism, springs connected at the rear edge of thecoverand hooks carried-9n the outer face of the rear alls ofthe recep tacleand detachably engaging the springs to yieldinglynrnaintain theliearipprtion ot the cover in bearirng contact,with

In testimony whereof he affixes his{ 's ignature. e

RQDN'EY M., COQP,

the upper edges of the all of the receptacle. 7

